Artificial straw.



No. 754,948. PATENTED MAR. 15', 1904.

J. H. WHITE. ARTIFICIAL STRAW. v APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8. 1903. ID MODEL.

WITNESSES '44 ATTORN EYJ UNITED STATES Patented March 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. \VHITE, OF ENGLIHVOOD, NEW JERSEY.

ARTIFICIAL STRAW- Application filed August 8, 1903.

To all zuhmn it may concern.-

Be it known that- I, J OHN H. XVHITE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Euglewood, county of Bergen, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Straws, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to artificial straws, such as are commonly used in bar-rooms, drug stores, restaurants, cafes, and the like in place of the natural or vegetable straws in the imbibition of certain classes of liquids. Artificial straws have largely displaced the vegetable stems or stalks formerly employed for this purpose,owing to their greater durability.

It is the purpose of the present invention to improve the form and construction of artificial straws so as to improve their appearance and render them still more durable.

To this end my invention consists in longitudinally grooving or ribbing the material of which the straw is formed and in reinforcing the grooved or ribbed tube with a strengthening material. The tube being longitudinally ribbed will have greater strength longitudinally than it would if it were plain. Also the presence of a stiffening material Within the grooves and between the ribs will prevent such ribbing or grooving from weakening the tube laterally. The stiifening material may conveniently be paraflin, which will be applied when hot and in a fluid condition after the tube has been formed and ribbed. When the paraffin hardens, the finished article will not only be rigid and durable, but will be Waterproof.

I will now proceed to describe, with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, an artificial straw embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an artificial straw embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a longitudinally ribbed and grooved tube of which my improved artificial straw is constructed, the same being drawn upon an exaggerated scale in order to more clearly illustrate my invention. Fig. 3 is a view in Serial No. 168,714. (No model.)

transverse section. upon an enlarged scale, of the tube shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4-. is a view in transverse section, upon an enlarged scale, of a finished straw. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a portion of a strip comprising the blank from which the tube of which the straw is formed may be made.

The artificial straw herein comprises a cylindrical tube of paper, in practice about eight inches long and about three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. The tube is preferably formed from a blank strip of paper about five-eighths of an inch wide, which is rolled up to form a tube and cut ofl in lengths the length of a finished straw. This paper blank may be rolled up into the form of a tube by suitable dies or formers in a manner well known and forming no part of this present invention. Usuallythe seam is disposed longitudinally of the tube and in a plane with the axis thereof. In the drawings the paper comprising the straw is designated by the reference character aand the seam by the reference character Z).

In manufacturing an artificial straw embodying my invention I have produced a series of longitudinal grooves or depressions c in the blank,and thereby a corresponding number of ribs, so that in cross-section the blank, and consequently the tube formed therefrom, is substantially corrugated in form. These grooves, ribs, or corrugations render easier the rolling-up or forming operation of the blank to produce the finished article and cause the straw to more readily retain its rolled-up condition when once such condition is produced. Further, the joint at the overlapped seam b is improved by the tendency of the corrugations to interlock at this point. After the material of which the straw is formed has thus been grooved, ribbed, and rolled up into the form of a tube the same is treated with paraffin or other stifl'ening material. The paraffin may be applied in any desired or suitable manner, as by dipping or otherwise, and such material will enter and be retained within the grooves and between the ribs. so that when the same is dry and hardened the tube will be stifiened laterally. The stiffening material is shown at (I in the drawings.

The lon- Correction in Letters Patent No. 754,948.

gitudinal grooving and ribbing very largely strengthens and increases the durability of the article, because it stiffens the tube longitudinally and renders the same less likely to be broken transversely. A tube thus ribbed will have greater strength longitudinally than it would if it were plain-that is to say, it will resist transverse breakage to a greater extent than if unri bbed. This longitudinal stifl'ening, however, would be somewhat at the expense of lateral weakening if the tube were not otherwise stifienedthat is to say, a ribbed tube would resist a crushing strain to a less degree than a plain or unribbed tube. The stifiening material employed will, however, compensate for the loss of lateral strength, as the same in entering the grooves and spaces between the ribs will form a backing or reinforcement and so stifien the tube laterally that when dried and hardened the completed article will have great strength and durability both longitudinally and transversely. ing material employed will further be a material preferably impervious to water, so that in the stiffening of the paper tube the same will also be rendered Waterproof. So far I have found paraflin to be the most satisfactory material, as it is easily applied when hot and in a fluid condition, readily hardens and dries when cold, and renders the tube entirely waterproof. A commercial advantage is also obtained in thus grooving, ribbing, or corrugating an artificial straw in that a straw so constructed will more closely resemble the vegetable product than will a plain cylindrical tu e.

' While I have described and shown a straw having a longitudinal seam therein, it will of course be understood that I do not desire to be limited to such construction; neither do I wish to be limited to the grooving of the The stiffen blank of which the straw is constructed, as obviously, if desired, the tube may be grooved, ribbed, or corrugated after it is formed.

What I claim is- 1. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally-ribbed tube of paper, the spaces between the ribs reinforced by a stiffening material.

2. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprisinga longitudinallyribbed tube of paper, the spaces between the ribs reinforced by a coating of paraflin.

3.As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves of which contain a stiffening material.

4:. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves of which contain paraffin. 5. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves, and the spaces between the ribs, of which contain a stifiening material.

6. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves, and the spaces between the ribs, of which contain parafiin.

7. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper completely enveloped by a coating of paraflin, whereby the spaces between the ribs re reinforced by a stiffening material.

JOHN H. WHITE.

Witnesses:

OHAs. D. STAINTON, H. BUTWHIs'rLE.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 754,948, granted LIarch 15, 1904, upon the application of John H. VV'hite, of Englewood, New Jersey, for an improvement in Artificial Straws, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: After the word thereof in line 71, page 1, the following paragraph should be inserted; The improved process herein, which consists in longitudinally ribbing, grooving or scoring a strip of paper or like material prior to subjecting it to tube-forming dies for a tube-forming operation, constitutes no part of the invention claimed herein, but is separately claimed in a copending application filed February 23, 1904, Serial No. 194,652; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of April, A. D., 1904.

[SEAL] F. I. ALLEN, Commissioner of Patents.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 754,948.

gitudinal grooving and ribbing very largely strengthens and increases the durability of the article, because it stiffens the tube longitudinally and renders the same less likely to be broken transversely. A tube thus ribbed will have greater strength longitudinally than it would if it were plain-that is to say, it will resist transverse breakage to a greater extent than if unri bbed. This longitudinal stifl'ening, however, would be somewhat at the expense of lateral weakening if the tube were not otherwise stifienedthat is to say, a ribbed tube would resist a crushing strain to a less degree than a plain or unribbed tube. The stifiening material employed will, however, compensate for the loss of lateral strength, as the same in entering the grooves and spaces between the ribs will form a backing or reinforcement and so stifien the tube laterally that when dried and hardened the completed article will have great strength and durability both longitudinally and transversely. ing material employed will further be a material preferably impervious to water, so that in the stiffening of the paper tube the same will also be rendered Waterproof. So far I have found paraflin to be the most satisfactory material, as it is easily applied when hot and in a fluid condition, readily hardens and dries when cold, and renders the tube entirely waterproof. A commercial advantage is also obtained in thus grooving, ribbing, or corrugating an artificial straw in that a straw so constructed will more closely resemble the vegetable product than will a plain cylindrical tu e.

' While I have described and shown a straw having a longitudinal seam therein, it will of course be understood that I do not desire to be limited to such construction; neither do I wish to be limited to the grooving of the The stiffen blank of which the straw is constructed, as obviously, if desired, the tube may be grooved, ribbed, or corrugated after it is formed.

What I claim is- 1. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally-ribbed tube of paper, the spaces between the ribs reinforced by a stiffening material.

2. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprisinga longitudinallyribbed tube of paper, the spaces between the ribs reinforced by a coating of paraflin.

3.As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves of which contain a stiffening material.

4:. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves of which contain paraffin. 5. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves, and the spaces between the ribs, of which contain a stifiening material.

6. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper, the grooves, and the spaces between the ribs, of which contain parafiin.

7. As an article of manufacture, an artificial straw comprising a longitudinally grooved and ribbed tube of paper completely enveloped by a coating of paraflin, whereby the spaces between the ribs re reinforced by a stiffening material.

JOHN H. WHITE.

Witnesses:

OHAs. D. STAINTON, H. BUTWHIs'rLE.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 754,948, granted LIarch 15, 1904, upon the application of John H. VV'hite, of Englewood, New Jersey, for an improvement in Artificial Straws, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: After the word thereof in line 71, page 1, the following paragraph should be inserted; The improved process herein, which consists in longitudinally ribbing, grooving or scoring a strip of paper or like material prior to subjecting it to tube-forming dies for a tube-forming operation, constitutes no part of the invention claimed herein, but is separately claimed in a copending application filed February 23, 1904, Serial No. 194,652; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of April, A. D., 1904.

[SEAL] F. I. ALLEN, Commissioner of Patents.

l Correction in Letters Patent N0.-754,948.

Itishereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 754,948, granted March 15, 1904, upon the application of John H. \Vhite, of Englewood, New Jersey, for an improvement in Artificial Straws, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: After the word thereof in line 71, page 1, the following paragraph should be inserted; The improved process herein, which consists in longitudinally ribbing, grooving or scoring a strip of paper or like material prior to subjecting it to tube-forming dies for a tube-forming operation, constitutes no part of the invention claimed herein, but is separately claimed in a copending application filed February 23, 1904, Serial No. 194,652; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of April, A. D., 1904.

[SEAL] F. I. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents. 

